The ApeCast

Love blooms and danger looms in issue #3 of Marvel's Planet of the Apes! As Juliana Tobon and her crew transport a thousand apes on a cruise ship across the Atlantic, we learn more about the origins of Exercitus Viri and check in once again with the Smartest Gorilla in the World! Meanhwile, Jack and Geoff discuss the issue's real-world parallels, delight in apes at sea, ponder classic action movie...

Jack and Geoff are joined again by Barm for a look at Netflix's documentary Chimp Empire! The Ngogo chimpanzees of Uganda—despite a resource-rich environment—have splintered into two warring factions. Seemingly inured to human contact, the apes go about their brutal business as cameras capture it all, telling a compelling tale that vividly illustrates how close to us these primates truly are.

The ALZ-113 pandemic continues to spread as Jack & Geoff look at issue #2 of Marvel's POTA! As UN Peacekeeper Juliana Tobon arrives in Ghana with her precious ape cargo and receives further marching orders, we see both extremes of current ape/human relations around the world, and learn more about a certain French gorilla who inspires true  esprit de corps!

After nearly a decade in the post-Burton doldrums, the POTA franchise was ready for a revival, and it came in the form of an unassuming tale about a scientist. a chimp, and a certain experimental virus. And thus a new Ape-och rises! Jack and Geoff are joined by Derek Buckley for a look at the film's exploration of classic POTA themes, the new territory it carves out for itself, and the creation of...

Marvel Comics is back in the Planet of the Apes game! It's the early 2010s, and a mysterious new virus is ravaging humanity while imbuing apes with increased intelligence--and the wherewithal to use street signage as weaponry--a radical terrorist group is waging war against a convenient scapegoat for this new pandemic, and a young UN Peacekeeper is doing her part to ensure the survival of the apes...

A new Ape-och begins, as Jack and Geoff move into the modern POTA era with a look at Rise of the Planet of the Apes…the comic! Boom! Studios released this short comic prequel online prior to the release of the film, and while it may have little in common with what it precedes, it does whet the appetites of a couple of Apes fans hungry to sup upon the bountiful saga of Caesar!

Another Ape-och draws to a close, as Jack and Geoff discuss the final tale in the Boom! Studios Before the Fall Omnibus, The Scroll! As they see where things all began for Aleron, your two Apes hosts reflect on the Betrayals, Exiles and Cataclysms that preceded, and look towards cinematic tales of mo-capped cgi apes and the myriad works they spawned! Also: with Marvel fever a-boiling over 'round t...

The final cataclysm is about to catalyze, as Boom! Studios' POTA Cataclysm draws to a close! Jack and Geoff are talking hastily-resolved chimp uprisings, shocking mutant impersonation reveals, and a new spin on the classic tale of a science chimp, a spaceship, and the lake keeping them apart. And while Boom! is once again cutting things a little short conclusion-wise, there's still plenty to enjoy...

With the strange case of the mutant apes behind them, Jack and Geoff return to Ape City for more classic inter-/intra-ape conflict as Boom! Studios' POTA Cataclysm nears its end! The chimps are a-fomentin', Dr. Zaius is inching ever-closer to his movie incarnation, and Cornelius is just trying to find some candied ginger for his crush. It's setting up what promises to be a thrilling climax, and yo...

The ape mutants are real, and they must be reckoned with! Continuing further into the cavernous depths of Boom! Studios' POTA Cataclysm, Jack & Geoff encounter a mutually-beneficial survival-collabo between chimps of varying scientific fields, tactical discussion between long-married orangutans of status, and the first signs of a chimp-first political uprising! Also: a refence to the classic arcad...

December! The nog is flowing, the fireplace is stoked, and on your radio it's the annual ApeCast Apesmas Extravaganza! Erin Clarke, Kev Young and a jetlagged Sam Stovold are all here as we honour 2022's most notable ape—and other favorites from the year—in the Ape-cademy Awards, and play two games: C.H.I.M.P. Game and the all-new, all-thrilling O.R.A.N.G.U.T.A.N.!

Back to all things cataclysmic, as Jack and Geoff look at issues 5 and 6 of Boom! Studios' POTA Cataclysm! As Ape City begins to rebuild from the devastation wrought by the destruction of the moon, an increasingly frazzled Dr. Zaius readies a multi-faceted expedition—one that will ensure the city's continued survival while uncovering a bizarre new mystery! Cornelius and Milo are in fine form, Jack...

Jack and Geoff temporarily shift away from the cataclysmic events on the POTA for a look at writer/director Jordan Peele's superlative Nope! With returning guest Barm, the three unpack the film's surprising—and harrowing—ape appearance, as well as everything else that works about this masterfully-crafted piece of sci-fi/horror movie magic. Is it safe to say your Apes hosts liked this one? YEP.

The fall of the moon was just the beginning, as Boom! Studios' POTA Cataclysm continues! Amidst rising flood waters and increasing Ape casualties, Cornelius harnesses the heroism within, a familiar threat reveals a new face, and Dr. Zaius confronts a grim succession of shocking revelations! Your Apes hosts are swept along for the ride, as they also discuss the story's similarities to familiar 00's...

And now for something completely CATACLYSMIC, as Jack and Geoff look at the first two chapters of Boom! Studios' twelve-part POTA: Cataclysm! As a strangely knowledgeable pistol-packing ape priest wreaks catastrophic havoc, ape faces both new an familiar find themselves thrust into a desperate fight for survival! This one may well prove polarizing, and your Ape hosts are here to get into it!  *NOT...

As the Apes world Terns, so too do Jack and Geoff as they turn towards the conclusion of Boom! Studios Exile on the POTA! A massive showdown is a-brewin', as Dr. Zaius and his army of the apes square off against General Aleron, Tern, and their sign-languagin' human crew. Is there any hope for Aleron's seemingly ill-fated human experiment? Will the Statue of Liberty serve once again as a beacon of...

After the Betrayal cometh the Exile! Jack and Geoff continue their exploration of the Boom! Apes' oeuvre with a look at the first half of Exile on the POTA! As chimp scientist Prisca adjusts to a disturbing new job, a series of increasingly-bold human incursions force Dr. Zaius' hand! There's tons more of that Boomy goodness here, and your Ape hosts are on it! Also: the pressures of Japanese high...

Jack and Geoff are joined by Sam Stovold for the conclusion of Boom! Studios' Betrayal of the POTA! As Aleron adjusts to life in prison, Dr. Zaius goes on an innocence-shattering journey of discovery. Meanwhile, your Apes hosts discuss bonobos in the classic POTA, frustratedly-sighing Batman supporting characters, and the prospect of Indiana Jones dropping an f-bomb.

A new Ape-och dawns as Jack and Geoff begin looking at Boom! Studios' Betrayal of the Planet of the Apes! This first miniseries (collected in the Boom! Before the Fall Omnibus) sees the return of some familiar ape faces while introducing intriguing new ideas. Apes Alcatraz? A female orangutan who actually speaks? The most sartorially styling gorilla in POTA history? They're all here, and your Ape...

Jack and Geoff are joined by Sam Stovold for a look at the 1998 Mighty Joe Young remake! And while this Disneyfied version of the story doesn't really hold a banana to its predecessor, it does boast some great practical ape effects and a charismatic cast. And that's more than enough for the Ape crew to chew on! Also in this ep: a climactic Ape host head-to-head Lost/The Wire character name-off bat...

Stepping outside the Apes realm, Jack and Geoff take a look at one the of the latter's all-time faves, Big Trouble in Little China! While the Wild Man in this movie may bear only a passing resemblance to an ape, there's more than enough Carpentery goodness to make up for that. The cult-classic status on this one is well-deserved, and your ol' Apes hosts are here to talk all about it!

Jack and Geoff are joined by first-time guest Richard Dunham and returning drop-in guest Kevin Young for a look at 1949's Mighty Joe Young! This spiritual sequel to King Kong has it all: wooden acting, thin plotting, legitimately amazing special effects and more lions than you can shake a large gorilla-sized fist at. And in the center of it all, a true charmer of a primate. And we DON'T mean the S...

The final Mak-down is here! Jack and Geoff discuss the final chapter of The Utopians, which concludes Boom! Studios' superlative saga on the POTA. As Sullivan, Alaya, Nix and co. face down seemingly impossible odds against the Golden Khan and his Great Horde, a glimmer of hope gleams in the future. Wrapping things up, your Ape hosts also discuss their favorites of the entire run and get into some...

Jack and Geoff are joined by Kevin Young for the penultimate chapters of Boom! Studios' POTA epic, The Utopians! As Sullivan and her army poise to re-take the city of Mak, the Golden Khan enacts a sinister plan of his own. And all the while, Brother Kale and his cadre of crafty mutants are cultivating a veritable mutopia of their own!

It's coup season in the Ape Republic of Mak, as Jack and Geoff look at the second half of The Half Man in the Boom! POTA comics! Headshots abound as Sullivan and her newly-armed band of humans strike back at the apes, while in Mak itself, palace intrigue takes a turn for the mutated!